Wheel stop



S. W. HAYES July 10, 1962 WHEEL STOP 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1960 HAYES 6 Sheet s 2 Filed March 4, 1960 July 10, 1962 s. w. HAYES 3,043,240

I WHEEL. STOP Filed March 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 1'" filming 1 III] July 10, 1962 s. w. HAYES 3,043,240

WHEEL STOP Filed March 4. 1960 e Sheets-Sheet 4 Q W. W Q N .wv Mg 7 uWJ%$ H H 1 w m M Q U, ilii M k% V iii; R N% V& M fifww & wxfiwww M July 10, 1962 s. w. HAYES 3,0 ,240 7 WHEEL STOP Filed March 4, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 S. W. HAYES WHEEL STOP July 10, 1962 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed March 4, 1960 and ballast.

United States iPatent Indiana Filed Mar. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 12,740 12 Claims. (Cl. 104-259) The present invention is directed to a new and improved wheel stop and has for its primary object the provision of a wheel stop with a novel means for locating and holding it in operative positive position upon a rail. The stop includes features disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 784,750 filed January 2, 1959, and assigned to the assignee of this application.

The invention is particularly adapted for use in a wheel stop of the type adapted to slide along the rail and having wheel engaging structure above the rail and thrust transmitting structure with portions extending below the base of the rail into abutting relationship with the ties Wheel stops of this character with portions extending below the base of the rail and arranged to slide along the rail under car wheel impact provide a cushion stop for the car wheels because the force of the impact is transmitted to the ties and ballast.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wheel stop which can be readily constructed and adapted readily to be located and centered upon a rail.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wheel stop with new and improved manually operable rail clamping means slidably to clamp the stop upon the rail.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a wheel stop with new and improved rail clamping means operable by a wedge element slidable lengthwise of the stop and rail from a first position to a second position to lift the rail head clamping elements into position slidably to clamp the wheel stop to the rail and -to a second or released position in which the clamping elements are swung away from the elements in order to permit installation upon or removal of the wheel stop from an associated rail.

A further object of the present invention is to'provide a Wheel stop including rail head clamping elements and 'slidable actuating means therefor, which actuating means is biased into position to engage the clamping elements with the rail head and having manually actuable means operable against the force of the biasing means to effect release of the clamping means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a Wheel stop with clamping means and associated actuating means which is spring or Weight biased to one position to effect engagement of the clamping means with the rail head and which is manually operable to another position in which the clamping elements are disengaged from the rail head.

In brief, the wheel stop of the present invention includes wheel engaging abutment structure above the rail such as a vertically disposed plate having at its forward end one or more wheel engaging abutments'. It includes also thrust transmitting structure extending downwardly and outwardly to engage the rail ties and ballast, thereby to provide the cushion type operation referred to above. Stop locating means are provided whereby the stop is slidably clamped on the rail. This means includes opposed rail clam-ping elements including lower clamping jaws, intermediate guiding portions cooperating with a transversely extending governor plate overlying the rail to effect movement of the clamping jaws between rail engaging and disengaging positions, and

upper apertured portions whereby the clamping elements able plate adapted manually to be moved upwardly to -wheel stop installed upon a 7" rail;

engage the clamping jaws with the rail head and movable downwardly to disengage or unclamp the clamping jaws from the rail head. The clamping elements are movable by wedge means including a pair of spaced apart wedges engageable with the cross shaft and which wedge means are slidably mounted on a plate constituting part of the'stop and moved by manually actuatable means comprising a handle pivotally connected to the wedge means. In another embodiment of the invention, the clamp operating wedge means is spring biased into a position in which the clamping elements are engaged with the rail head and manually operable means are provided to move the wedge means to effect disengagement .of the clamping means from the rail head. In a further embodiment, the wedge means is weight rather than spring biased. Locking means are provided to hold the handle and wedge means in rail clamping position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description of an illustrative embodiment thereof, in the course of which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a wheel stop constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown slidably clamped to a 6" rail;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the front end of the stop and. as viewed along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, showing the wheel stop of FIGS. v1 to 3 seated upon but released from the rail;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 but with the wheel stop about to be seated upon the rail;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view along the broken line 66 of FIG. 4 also illustrating the wheel stop about to be seated upon a rail;

AFIG. 7 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken on the broken line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged top plan view of the wheel stop shown in 'FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross sectional view along the line Ill-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional View along the line 11-11 of FIG. 5;

'FIG. 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly linoken away, illustrating the invention installed upon a rai =FIG. 13'is a view similar to FIG. 12 showing the FIG. 14 is a view showing the wheel stop of FIG. 13 above a 7 rail and ready to be seated thereon;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary side elevational view partly broken away illustrating a modified form of construction with spring biased wedge means for actuating the clamping means; and

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 15 of a further embodiment of the present invention showing Weight biasing wedge means for actuating the clamping means.

The wheel stop of the present invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 14 and indicated as awhole by reference character 10, includes a wheel abutment structure constituted primarily by a vertically disposed metal plate 12. The stop includes also thrust transmitting structure, indicated by the reference character 14, extending outwardly at opposite sides of the railand downwardly to below the base of the rail, which is. indicated by the reference character 16, mounted on spaced apart ties 18 in the usual manner. The stop. includes also the holding and guiding 'means 20, constituting the primary feature of the present invention and adapted to be located, when installed upon the rail, at the opposite sides and under sides of the rail head slidably to hold the stop vertically upon the railiand to guide it therealong when it is moved under car Wheel impact.

It should be understood that while only one stop has been illustrated, it is contemplated that two Stops will be used in usual installation, one stop for each rail. The stops willv also be arranged to .abut against a singletie so that both stops will be simultaneously engaged by the wheels of a car.

The primary feature of the present invention, as already indicated, resides in the construction of the holding and .guiding means 20. However, before describing it in detail, it may be well to describe. theremainder of the stop orderto provide a better understanding of the invention. r v

The abutment plate 12 may take various forms'and is shown made from a single piece of 'metal plate having a thickness of about one inch. The forward edge of the abutment is constructed and'ar'rangedto provide two spaced apart abutments 24 and 26, the former of which is the lower abutment and the latter the upper one. The 7 lower abutment2'4is at the front edge of the plate and is constituted by a lower forward portion 28 of the plate.

Theupper abutment 2 6-is somewhat to the rear and at' the upper end of a higher rear portion, 30' of the plate, 'The abutments' are located so-that a wheel will contact only the lower abutment24 or both the lower and upper abutments 24 and 26."

The bottom of plate-12 is generally horizontal but is cut away for the reception of a horizontalbase governor plate 32 extending some distance beyond the opposite sides of the rail head and for the reception of a rear horizontal base plate 34 of a'width somewhat less than that ofithe rail head, see FIGS. 9 audit): The two plates '32 and 34 abut against and are secured to each other and ther reference will be had shortly.

The force of the wheel stopping impact is transmitted to the ties and ballast by the thrust transmitting structure 14 which, in the main, takes the form of a saddle 42 and divergent thrust transmitting plates 44. The saddle 42 has legs 42A straddling the rail 16 and extending downwardly suflicient to abut againsta substantial portion of a tie. The bight42B of the saddle sets upon the top of the rail and is welded to the rear edge of plate 34. The

higher-portion 30 of abutment plate !12' is connected to the legs of the saddle by the plates 44 which extend downwardly, rearwardly andoutwardly. Additionalstrength is provided by a vertical rear brace plate 54 ofgenerally trapezoidal shape welded to the plates 44 and 46 and to the vertical rear'edge of abutment plate 12. Brace plate 54 is provided with a slot 56 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) at its lower end straddling the rear horizontal base plate 34, the lower end 'of the brace plate 54 being'w'elde'd to the rear of governor plate 32. The wheel stop is strengthened by generally-triangular laterally extending brace plates 58 Welded to opposite sides of abutment plate 12 and to the front edge of the governor plate 32. V

The clamping and guiding means'20 will now be described. In the main, it comprises an assembly of which 7 the governor plate 32 is a part and including also the opposed clamping elements 60 movably suspended from a horizontally disposed cylindrical cross shaft .64 supshaft 64 loosely extends.

ported in turn by the vertically movable plate and clamping element actuating. means illustrated as wedge means, indicated as a whole by reference character 70. The plate 49 is mounted for vertical movement in the slot 38 provided in the lower portion of abutment plate 12 above the governor plate 32. As best shown in FIGS. Sand 6, the plate 40 projects below plate 32 and upon seating of the stop on a rail, plate 40 is moved upwardly to move the clamping elements 69 toward rail head clamping position. From this position, movable wedge means 79 is utilized to bring the clamping means into the final clamping position which is best shown in FIG. 3.

Referring now particularlyto FIG. 6, it will be noted that the governor plate 32 is provided with oppositely inclined openings 72 therein providing inner and outer, upwardly and in'wardly inclined guiding surfaces 74 and 76, respectively. The clamping. elements project through the openings'72. Each of the clamping elements has a lower jaw defining portion 60A, an intermediate portion 69B and an upper portion 60C provided with apertures 60D through which the projecting ends of cross The lower clamping jaw 60A terminates in a downwardly and inwardly extending toe adapted to be engaged with the underside of the rail head 'when the stop is seated upon the rail properly to efiect the governor plate 32 at opposite sides of the rail head.

The cross shaft 64 is provided with end flanges or collars 64A to prevent unintentional sliding of the elements off the cross shaft. The collars, as best shown in FIG. 6, engage the upper surface of the governor plate to determine the limiting downward position of the cross shaft and thus of the clamping elements and vertical plate 40'.

The wedge includes two laterally spaced apart longitudinally extending portions 84 terminating in an inclined portion 88 cooperatively associated with the clamping elements through the cross shaft. 'The two wedge plates 84 are interconnected by a hinge pin 90 pivotally surrounded by a handle ring 92 to which is secured the wedge manipulating handle 94. The wedge-rides on the upper surface of the plates 34 and 32 and is adapted to be moved longitudinally of the stop by. the handle 94. For convenience, the handle is generally triangularly shaped and the portion 9 4A, which is attached to the handle ring, is

provided with a generally U-shaped dependent lock 96 adapted to partially encircle the base plate 34 when the stop-is installed upon the rail, see FIGS. 1, 9, l2 and 13.

v The wedge is guided by the longitudinally extending Wedge guide strips 97 Welded to the innerside of the divergent transmitting thrust plates 44. Complete withdrawal of thewedge is prevented by a cross pin 98 suitably secured,as by pins 99, to and extending between the divergent "thrust plates 44, see FIGS. 9 and 12-14.

Bracing between the saddle 14-and the rear end of base plate 34 is provided by the small generally trapezoidal braces 100 (see FIGS. 4 and 9) having upwardly and rearwardly inclined surfaces 102 engageable with the lock 96 whereby; as the handle and wedge are moved rearwardly,

the handle is also lifted so that it can be moved to the position in which it is illustrated in FIG. 4.

The stop may be fabricated readily and may be readily seated'upon and slidably clamped to the rail. Before the stop is clamped to the rail the clamping means occupies the released position in which it is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. At this time, the clamping elements are disposed away from the rail head and the vertically movable plate 40 extends below the bottom of governor plate 32. When the stop isseated upon the rail, the plate 40 is moved upwardly relative to the remainder of the stop thereby to .5 move the cross shaft and the clamping elements'6t) upwardly so that the clamping portions 60A move toward clamping position under the rail head. This movement carries the cross shaft up above the lower portion of the inclined portion 88 of the wedge 70 so that the wedge can be moved forwardly of the stop whereby the inclined portion 88 lifts the cross shaft upwardly an amount sufiicient to complete the clamping movement of the elements 60.

The clamping position for a 4" rail is shown in FIG. 12, for a 7" rail in FIG. 13 and for a 6' rail the clamping position is shown in FIG. 3. To unclamp the stop the handle 94 is moved rearwardly to the position shown in FIG. 4. During this movement the braces 100 efiect'upward movement of the handle and withdrawal of the wedge is prevented by the cross pin 98. When the wedge has been retracted to the position of FIG. 4, the cross shaft 64 moves downward to its limiting position whereby the clamping elements are disengaged from the rail head, as shown in FIG. 6.

In the modifications of the stop illustrated in FIGS. and 16, biasing means are provided to bias the clamping element operating wedge in a direction to efiect movement of the clamping elements to clamping position.

For the most part, the structures of the stops correspond to that already described and like parts are indicated by like reference characters.

Referring first to the stop illustrated in FIG. 15, the wedge is indicated by the reference character 110. It is slidably mounted upon the governor plate 32, this embodiment having no base plate corresponding to plate 34 of the previously described embodiment. The wedge is biased toward the right by a spring 112 surrounding a rearwardly extending pin or shaft 114 passing through an aperture in cross brace 116 extending between and secured to the thrust plates 44. The spring preferably is strong enough to force the wedge into its clamping position. The wedge is adapted to be moved to its retracted position by a manually operable handle 118 pivotally mounted upon a shaft 120 secured to spaced apart bracket arms 122 mounted upon a rear brace plate 124 corresponding to brace plate 54. The handle includes a downwardly extending crank arm 126 having a slot 128 cooperatively associated with a pin 130 connected to the wedge.

In FIG. 15, the wedge is shown in its forwardmost position in which the wheel stop is clamped to the rail. To disengage the wheel stop, the handle 118 is lifted thereby to effect movement of the wedge rearwardly against the force of spring 112. The cross shaft drops down upon the governor plate 32 and the clamping elements also move downwardly. In the fully retracted position, the front end of the wedge abuts against the cross shaft 94, as shown in FIG. 4, whereby the wedge is held in the retracted position.

When it is desired to install the Wheel stop upon the rail, the stop is seated on the rail whereupon the cross shaft is moved upwardly by the vertical plate or shaft 46, as previously described. When this occurs the spring 112 moves the wedge 110 to the right under the cross shaft thereby to lift the cross shaft and clamping elements until the latter are engaged with the underside of the rail head. If desired, the handle 118 can'be further lowered somewhat, more tightly but still slidably to secure the stop to the rail.

The embodiment of FIG. 16 is similar to that of FIG. 14 except that the wedge is weight biased, the weight being indicated by the reference character 118A. A gravity operated vertically movable locking wedge 140 is provided to keep the handle from becoming loose, the handle being shown as it is locked by the wedge 14!), which has a triangular point 142 wedging between the handle and vertical brace plate 124. To unlock the handle, the wedge 140 is lifted in its guides 144, which are secured to the 6 brace plate 124. The operation of this embodiment is like that of the embodiment of FIG. 15.

While the present invention has been described in connection with details of different embodiments thereof, these details are not intended to be, limitative of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims. i

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the 'United States is:

1. A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, wheel abutment structure adapted to be placed on a rail, means including rail clamping elements movably mounted upon the structure for movement between rail clamping and released positions and normally occupying the latter position when ready for installation, a movable supporting element adapted to abut against the rail and to be moved upwardly relative to the structure u-pon installation of the stop on the rail, means supporting said clamping elements on said supporting element, means for eifecting movement of the clamping elements toward rail clamping position upon placement of the stop on a rail and upward movement of said supporting element,

and means including slidable wedge means for moving said clamping elements and slidable to complete movement of said clamping elements to said clamping position.

2. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 1 wherein said abutment structure includes plate structure seating upon the rail and upon which said wedge means is movably mounted. t

3. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 1 including-biasing means acting on said wedge means to move it in a predetermined direction.

4. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 1 including biasing means acting on said wedge means to move it in a direction to move said rail clamping elements to rail clamping position.

5. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 1 including a handle movably connected to said wedge means for moving it and weight means on said handle to bias it in a direction to move the wedge means to its rail clamping position.

6. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 3 wherein said biasing means is constituted by spring means.

7. A wheel stop as claimed in claim 3 wherein said biasing means is constitued by a weight.

8. A wheel stop "as claimed in claim 5 including handle locking means on the structure for holding the handle in position to hold the wedge means in its rail clamping position.

9. A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, wheel abutment structure adapted to be placed upon a rail, means including rail clamping elements movably mounted upon the structure for movement between rail clamping and rail releasing positions and normally occupying the latter position when ready for installation, a movable supporting element adapted to abut against the rail and to be moved upwardly relative to the stop upon installation of the stop on the rail, a cross shaft mounted on said supporting element for movement therewith and supporting said rail clamping elements, means for effecting movement of said clamping elements toward said clamping position as said supporting element is moved upwardly, and means including slidable wedge means associated with said cross shaft and movable to effect further upward movement of said supporting element and of said clamping elements to said clamping position.

10. A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, wheel abutment structure adapted to be placed upon a rail, means including rail clamping elements movably mounted upon the structure for movement between rail clamping and rail releasing positions and normally occupying the latter position when ready for installation, a movable supporting element adapted to abut against the rail and to be moved upwardly relative c c 7 v to the stop upon installationof the stop on the rail, a cross shaft mounted on said supporting element for movement therewith and having projectingv portions at opposite Sides thereof for supporting saidlrail clamping elements, means'for effecting movement of said clamping elementstoward said clamping positionas said supporting element is moved upwardly, and meansjincludinglshdable' wedge a, means including portions at opposite sides of said supporting element engageable with said projecting portions of said cross shaft and movable further to raisesaidsupporting element to' efiect movement of said clamping elements to said clamping position. 11. A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, wheel abutment structure adapted tobe placed upon a rail, means including. rail clamping elements movably mounted upon the structure for movement between rail clamping and rail releasing positions and normally occupying thellatter position when ready .for

installation, a movable supporting element adapted to abut againstthe rail and to be movedup-wardly relativeto the stop upon installation of the'stop on the rail, a cross shaft mounted on said'supporting element for movement therewith and having projecting portions at opposite sides 7 thereof for supporting said rail clampingelements, means for efiecting movement of said clamping elements toward said clamping position as said supporting element is moved upwardly, means includingslidable Wedge means including portions at opposite sides of said supporting element engageable with said projecting portionsof said cross shafit and movable further to raise said supporting element to effect movement of said clamping elements to said clamping position, a handle'movably connected to said wedge means for moving said-wedge means, and hook means on said handle adapted partially to encircle a portion of the structure for holding said handle seated upon the rail. a

12; A wheel stop for installation upon a rail, including in combination, Wheel abutment structure adapted to be placed on'a rail, means including rail clamping elements movably mounted upon the structure for moyementflbetween rail clamping and rail releasing positionsand normally occupying the latter position when ready for installation, a movable supporting element adapted to abut against the rail and to be moved upwardly, relative to the structure upon installation of the stop on the rail, means supporting said clamping elements on said supporting element, means for efiecting movement of said clamping elements toward'the rail upon upward movement of said supporting element, and means including biasing means for eifectingupward movement of said supporting element and clamping element supporting means and thus of said clamping elements toward rail clamping position.

References Cited in the file of this patent QNITED STATES PATENTS 

